Avril Lavigne Grows 'Older, Stronger, Wiser'

Avril Lavigne is leaning on friends and family now that she’s announced her separation from Deryck Whibley after three years of marriage.

“You go through a lot of changes,” the singer, who celebrated her 25th birthday yesterday, says. “I’m older, stronger, wiser.”

For the performer who hit it big in 2002 with the song Complicated, finding herself again after a failed marriage will take time. She tested the waters of independence during her Abbey Dawn fashion show recently, and on various outings to the Hamptons last month.

What’s the secret to living well?

“Balance is important,” she says. “Like anything in life, moderation. For me personally, I make sure I work really hard, but I also make sure I go home and have five days off and just chill out.”

A little mischief is always good, too.

“I’m a big fan of hotel minibars,” she says. “I’m always like ‘everyone come in my room, let’s crash the minibar.’ I like to have fun with that.”

She continues, “I definitely have trashed hotel rooms. I don’t do it all the time, but once in awhile…In London, I was with my band, and I was in the bar with my friend Devon, who’s my guitar player. I looked at him – it was like 2 o’clock in the morning – and I said ‘I think it’s time for a band initiation.’ So I went to the front desk and got keys to everyone’s room. We got buckets of ice, and we got everybody’s room keys and threw ice on them. The people who weren’t in their rooms – we put it in the bathroom, on their mattresses, all over. It was really funny. I think it was the Mayfair in London. My band was staying at the Mayfair, and I purposely stayed with them.”

Now that she’s older and wiser, she probably won’t repeat that stunt. Ah, maturity.
Look out for Avril’s fourth album, which is due in November.